Twenty Four

Day 5- Thawing

An alarm blasts throughout the entire room, and everyone gets dragged out by the counselors. Well, everyone from my little group. I shove them away and walk on my own. Barbarians, waking me up early in the morning for whatever crap. As we go out, they bring us to this little isolated room, where the walls are all grey. I see Lee Young’s body in the middle, on a stretcher. I realize how hot it is in here, and pull the collar of my pajama tee. I do my best to look shocked, but I’m quite sure the scowl still remains on my face. I hear screams and I rub my eyes. Sheri is at the wall, but a counselor drags her close. There are at least five counselors here, and the remaining 20 of us. Well, that’s if you count Lee Young. He’s still breathing, but there are no fancy machines trying to keep him alive. 

“I want to know who did this!” A woman counselor screams. Her face is all red and her hands are clenched so hard I hope they break. “Where is your relief counselor? Where is that idiot Campbell.” His name is Campbell? Counselor Campbell. Sheri stutters as she collapses to her knees. I rush over to her and hold her by the shoulders. I have to use strength, and effort- she’s trying to break free. 

“It’s going to be okay, Sheri. He’s going to be fine.” I press her face onto her shoulder and grip her tightly. “You’d better keep crying, or else.” One counselor approaches us and ushers Sheri out of the room, but I grab her by the arm. 

“Wait. She’s not going to be okay, I need to be with her!” I scream as my body wraps around hers. They pry me away and put me in a separate room, without Sheri or Lee Young. I sit a table, with a female counselor. I give her the look of uncertainty. Now to ask all the cliched questions. 

“Is...he alive?” I mumble and tug onto the hem of my T-shirt. I start to sob, as I put my head on the table. This is definitely not going well. I’m doing well to make myself look pathetic in front of these people, but I hope they buy it. I sit back up as the lady talks and I close my eyes and collapse off my chair. Looks like I have to resort to such dirty tactics. I feel the lady’s warm hands on my arm, shaking me. I breathe very quickly, as my hands twitch. I open my eyes, wide, so wide it shall be a horror. And take in a deep breath, deep, so deep I can swallow the world. Then I falter back to the ground, my inhaler dropping from my pocket. 

“Campbell! You’re late. Your student has asthma, did you know that?” The woman spoke with a certain fury that made me want to smile. 

“Not particularly. She’ll live, she’s a survivor.” The other counselor, the one who slept with Sheri. He places his hand on my forehead, as I lay on some bed. I do my best not to wake up and kick him. I feel his hand forcefully pulled off my head, and I hear a thud. 

“Stay away from her, stay away from all of them. You have a record mind you, one slip up, that’s all it will take.” Now I hear stomps and the movement of fabric. I contemplate whether I should open my eyes. Well might as well make good use of this time to sleep. That’s when I feel his hand on my chest. 

My eyes fling open and I push him down. I sit up on the bed, and glare at him. He’s grinning now, all too big for my liking. I press down the urge to just end him. He can be useful, to whatever extent I need. I give him an equally bright smile and as I sip my cup of water. 

“I see you’ve woken up.”

“I see you have a record.” That’s when he freezes. The realization hits him, hard. He gets up from the floor and prepares to walk away. 

“Oh no. I don’t think you should leave. I think you owe me something, before I expose you.” 

“Ha! How? How do you plan to do so? Miss Fake.” His words sting, but they don’t bother me. I smile as I get out of bed. I place one hand on his shoulder as I lean in closer. I smile.